I bankrupted my own company to take my girlfriend’s public, making her dream a reality.

At her IPO celebration, I planned to reveal myself as a billionaire heir and announce our relationship.

But she stepped on stage arm-in-arm with another man.

"Bryan," she said, trembling with excitement, "the pregnancy rumors are true—he’s the father!"

Silence filled the room. Everyone turned to me.

I stood, forced a smile, and started clapping. The crowd erupted.

Watching Sophia glow in Bryan’s arms, I realized—if this was her happiness, I wouldn’t stand in her way.

I walked out and called my father:

"Kill Sophia’s funding. Let her figure out the IPO alone."

1

My father, sharp as ever, knew instantly that something was broken between Sophia and me. He sighed, a heavy sound over the phone. "Bill, are you sure about this? If we pull this funding, Rosewood Tech won't just fail to go public. They'll go under completely. That hole from their tax evasion is too deep to fill."

He paused. "I won't ask why you're making this decision. I just... it's been seven years, son. I don't want you to have any regrets."

Seven years. After I got with Sophia, I cared more about her career than she did. When I first got involved, her company was a black hole, and to keep it from collapsing, I cannibalized my own successful business.

She’d cried, telling me how much it hurt to see me work myself into a bleeding ulcer for her, swearing she would never let me down. She promised that once the company went public, we would finally make our relationship official.

So I worked even harder, all for the day I could stand by her side without hiding.

But promises? They’re just hot air from the person making them, and only a fool believes them.

"Dad," I said firmly. "Just trust me on this."

He didn't press further.

The moment I hung up, Sophia stormed out after me.

"Bill! You're the host. You can't just walk out! That's so unprofessional!"

A cold, humorless laugh escaped my lips. "My duties didn't include emceeing the public announcement of your affair."

Her face went rigid. "You're the host, you host the whole event! You don't get to pick and choose." Her voice rose, dripping with indignation. "Besides, I was telling the truth. Bryan is the father of the child in my belly! I can't very well lie and say it's you, can I?"

She hadn't told me she was pregnant. I found the test in the trash can myself. I didn't question it, just naturally assumed the child was mine. I started taking even better care of her, and she let me, never correcting my assumption.

I never imagined I was just a placeholder, a glorified caretaker for another man's woman and child. The thought was as nauseating as swallowing a fly. I didn't want to waste another breath on her.

"I'm going home."

After a quick shower, I collapsed onto the bed. My phone buzzed. It was a video from Bryan.

I opened it, and the sounds of Sophia's moans filled the quiet room, each one louder than the last. She moved with him, trying different positions, her face a mask of pure ecstasy.

"Oh, Bryan," her voice cooed from the speaker, "only with you... only with you does it feel like our souls are truly merging."

So, they really were a perfect match.

That video showed me a side of Sophia I'd never known. With me, she'd just lie there like a starfish, a mechanical, lifeless participant. I had always thought she just had a low libido.

Turns out, that wasn't it at all.

She just didn't love me.

My eyelids felt like lead weights. A wave of exhaustion washed over me, deeper than any I'd ever felt. I, who always needed to get to the bottom of everything, now just wanted to sleep.

I dropped my phone and let the darkness take me.

2

In the dead of night, Sophia came home, propping up a drunken Bryan.

The blankets were ripped off me, and a blast of cold air hit my skin. I opened my eyes to see Sophia's face, arrogant and demanding, hovering above me.

"You're sleeping on the couch," she ordered. "Bryan's taking the bed."

She had always treated me this way, with a casual, high-handed authority. After seven years, she was used to me being her servant.

I didn't move. "Doesn't he have his own home?"

"Can't you see he's drunk? I have to take care of him." Her tone was matter-of-fact, as if Bryan were her rightful partner.

How considerate. I remembered the time I drank myself sick to land a deal for her company. I called her to pick me up, but she said it was too cold to go out. I had to drag myself home, collapsing the moment I walked through the door. I spent the night on the freezing floor and woke up with a raging fever. I had to call the ambulance myself.

She didn't visit me once in the hospital.

"Ah, I almost forgot," I said, my voice flat. "He's the father of your child."

Sophia took my words as agreement. "Exactly. So are you going to move, or not?"

"Bill, I know you're angry," she said, her voice softening slightly, "but I can't let my child call another man 'daddy'."

What a noble mother. But who created this mess?

I looked at her, truly looked at her, and for the first time, she utterly disgusted me.

I started to get up, but she stopped me.

Her expression was a mix of conflict and resolution. Finally, she let out a breath. "The person I love is Bryan. The baby and I... we can't be without him." She paused, as if offering me a grand concession. "So, here's the plan. The three of us will live together. You'll keep managing the company, and you'll get your share. I won't cheat you."

A laugh bubbled up inside me. The sheer audacity of it. She wanted to have her cake and eat it too. Make her grand public declaration with Bryan, and keep me around as her free labor and glorified butler.

"No, thank you," I said. "Since you chose him, I wish you both the best."

Sophia looked at me as if I'd told the funniest joke in the world.

"Can you stop being so dramatic? Without me, how would you even survive? I've been supporting you all these years." She waved a dismissive hand. "Just stay put. The three of us can make it work. It was Bryan's idea, too."

Just then, Bryan made a retching sound. Sophia immediately rushed to his side, all concern and worry.

I went to the study to sleep.

It wasn't long before the study door was being pounded on, the noise shaking the frame.

"Get up and make breakfast! Bryan and I are hungry. We want noodles, hurry up!"

I pulled the covers over my head, pretending not to hear.

After a while, the knocking stopped.

My sleep was ruined anyway. When I finally got up, they were both gone.

Perfect. Time to pack.

The stench of stale alcohol in the master bedroom was overwhelming. She could really tolerate anything for Bryan's sake. I opened the closet. My clothes were just a few items, all of which I'd bought myself before moving in.

After a moment's thought, I gathered them all and threw them in the trash.

If I was letting go, I was letting go of everything.

Besides the clothes, I also threw out the matching couple's toothbrushes, slippers, and dishes I had bought. As I cleared things out, it dawned on me: the only person invested in our "couple" status had been me. Sophia's set of everything was still in its original packaging, untouched.

As I was clearing out the shoe rack, I found something tucked away in a corner. A pair of men's underwear.

Not my size.

The blood in my veins turned to ice. I looked around the apartment, our home, and a sickening montage played in my mind: Bryan and Sophia, laughing, touching, living in every corner of this place, while I remained completely in the dark.

Thank God I was finally awake.

3

After shipping my few remaining personal effects back to my family's estate, I headed to Rosewood Tech to resign.

Beyond funneling resources to Sophia from behind the scenes, I also held the official title of General Manager. For seven years, day in and day out, I had been the one closing deals, solving crises, and pushing the company upward.

I pushed open the door to my—to the General Manager's office—and found Sophia and Bryan wrapped around each other, directing a secretary who was packing up a desk.

My desk.

Now that they were public, they certainly weren't shy. I thought back to all the times I had asked, begged, for us to be more open, and how Sophia had always refused. She was the boss, she'd said, she had to set an example. What would happen if all her employees started office romances? How could she maintain control?

"Throw all of his junk out," Sophia's sharp voice cut through the air. "I don't know why we let such garbage accumulate in here. It's cheapening the place."

They turned as I entered. Sophia's face was a mask of cold indifference, while Bryan shot me a look of pure, triumphant provocation.

"Bill," Sophia announced, her tone brittle, "in light of your immature behavior at the celebration party yesterday, you're being demoted. Bryan will be the new General Manager. You can be his deputy."

She gestured towards Bryan. "That funding deal from New York? You'll assist him in finalizing it from now on."

The New York deal. The one I'd spent a month wining and dining the client's representative for, drinking until I gave myself a bleeding ulcer just to get a foot in the door. The deal that was only truly secured because of my father's influence.

Now that they thought it was a sure thing, they were trying to kick me to the curb and steal the credit. How utterly predictable.

I didn't bother arguing. I simply pulled the resignation letter from my jacket and placed it on the desk in front of her.

"Ms. Rosewood, this is my resignation. Please approve it."

The sudden move caught them completely off guard. Sophia and Bryan exchanged a shocked glance. She frowned, her eyes searching my face for some hidden motive.

Bryan, however, was practically vibrating with excitement. With me gone, the project—and all the glory—would fall squarely into his lap.

"Come on, 'Deputy' Vance," he sneered. "Are you really going to quit just because of a small demotion? Or do you actually think this company can't function without you? Pulling a stunt like this right before the IPO... real classy."

Any hesitation Sophia might have had vanished at Bryan's words. Her face darkened with anger.

"I don't know why I ever hired you in the first place!" she snapped. "You want to leave? Fine! I accept. Now pack your things and get the hell out! And don't you ever think of setting foot in Rosewood Tech again."

I nodded, quietly placing my few belongings into a cardboard box.

Just then, Sophia's assistant rushed in, out of breath. "Ms. Rosewood, the representative from the New York firm is here! They said they're ready to talk about the financing!"

Sophia immediately started fussing over Bryan, straightening his tie. "You've got this," she whispered encouragingly. "It's all been negotiated. All that's left is the signature. Don't be nervous."

"I won't," Bryan said, puffing out his chest as he walked out of the office.

I finished packing and walked out with my box. In the hallway, I saw Bryan, a fawning smile plastered on his face as he extended a hand to the representative.

"Hello, sir. My name is Bryan Carter. I'm the new General Manager here, and I'll be handling the financing deal with you."

The representative didn't even glance at his outstretched hand.

His eyes lit up when he saw me. He immediately came over, taking the box from my arms.

"Mr. Vance," he said, his voice loud and clear for everyone to hear. "I've already been notified about the situation. I'm actually here today to officially cancel the investment."

He gestured vaguely back toward Bryan. "This whole deal was contingent on your involvement, as a favor to your father. With you gone, there's no reason for us to stay."